The University of Tampa men’s and women’s track and field teams are off to a successful and very competitive 2011 season.
Acccording to Coach Jarrett Slaven, UT is the only Division II school in the state of Florida to possess a track on campus. Thus, the squad has challenged high competition and has raced against the best teams in the country at the Division I level. Track and field may seem like a sport where you just run long distances or sprint as fast as you can. While in some cases that may be true, the events contain all different types of races and athletes.
Many runners who participate in track and field are also cross country runners, but may participate in different types of races while running track and field.
Charles Toledo, a sophomore runner who has been off to an amazing start to the season, explains how track and field differs from running cross country.
“In cross country, everyone is running the same event, where as track you can run events that are better suited to your strengths,” said Toledo. “An example would be someone with some good speed but not much strength or endurance, might be better at the 800 meter dash compared to a 5k event.”
As the field of runners who run cross country compares to track, Toledo stated that almost everyone who runs cross country at UT also runs track and field. However, the two sports may not necessarily be equally natural for all.
Some track athletes who shine at running short distances would struggle running cross country due to the longer field, so they only participate in track because that is where their strengths can be utilitized.
With track being more of an individual sport, runners can basically pick and choose what race they want to partake in so they have a higher chance of succeeding.
“For most of our track meets, no one is tallying points for overall results. It’s mostly about your individual events. I’m more of a long distance runner so I race most of the same people in track that I do in cross country,” said Toledo.
With the season already through seven meets, the UT squad has found success, and the runners have improved their previous accomplishments dramatically through the course of the season.
Runners have set personal records, including some who have managed to set school records.
Toledo and sophomore Anthony Quezada set school records in the 500 meter and 100 meter dash, respectively.
Toledo beat Tony Nicolosi’s 500 M school record that was marked last year, and Quezada’s record looks like it will stand until further notice.
As for personal records, multiple men and women Spartans fall into that category, including Heather Nicolosi, Kaia Hampton, Kelly Hagan, Kevin Harley, Charles Toledo and Anthony Quezada.
Nicolosi and Hampton both set personal records in the 5k, and Harley and Hagan followed that up with person bests in the 800 M and 1500 M, respectively.
Lewis Price also improved his own 3000 M steeple chase record.
Cross country and track and field Coach Jarrett Slaven knows how impressive it is for the players to accomplish such feats, and believes that the squad has had an impressive 2011 season.
“I’m proud of our men and women so far and what they have done. We have accomplished some pretty impressive feats so far and I look forward to the rest of the year,” said Coach Slaven, now in his 11th year as the teams’ coach.
With All-American runner Jess Butler back running after recovering from injury, the team is now stronger, according to Coach Slaven. Butler missed the 2010 cross country season due to a leg injury.
As the UT team continues to race against Division I talent, the squad prepares for their next race at the FSU Twilight from May 7-8.
Michael Paonessa can be reached at mpaonessa@spartans.ut.edu.